In wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi mesh networks, the quality of a channel over which communication is made, is not static, and it is prone to abrupt changes during the day. Further, certain channels are used for particular operations, such as for radar communication, and therefore must be avoided, or only used under certain conditions. The varying nature of the quality of channels in wireless networks makes it difficult to ensure that the selected channel is the optimal one.
In a network of wireless nodes, Wi-Fi utilizes the Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) mechanism to control the access of nodes to the wireless medium. By doing this, overlapping transmissions of multiple nodes, which lead to collisions, are avoided in the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. Hence, devices that operate in the same channel need to share the available bandwidth among each other by contention. This leads to diminishing resources in terms of available bandwidth as the number of nodes that use the same channel is increased.
In an effort to increase the medium utilization, Wi-Fi may employ multiple non-overlapping (orthogonal) channels to maintain simultaneous transmissions of different Wi-Fi networks. It is the responsibility of nodes, such as Access Points (APs), to determine the best available channel for operation.
In order to address at least some of the above mentioned problems, there is provided: a wireless network device, for operation within a wireless network, the wireless network device comprising: a wireless interface operable on one or more wireless channels; a memory; and a processor configured to: scan at least one channel for a predetermined time duration; and make a channel quality assessment measurement during the predetermined time duration, wherein the processor is adapted to synchronize the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network and that scan the at least one channel and make channel quality assessment measurements during substantially the same predetermined time duration, wherein the channel quality assessment measurement is compared with other channel quality assessment measurements from other network devices that are operable in the wireless network thereby to enable determination of an optimal channel for communication between the network devices and wherein the wireless network device is configured to operate on the optimal channel.
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.